Phylogenetics & Evolutionary Biology

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The Opisthobranchia

The Opisthobranchia are beautiful and diverse sea slugs having evolved from shell bearing Prosobranchia. About 5000 to 6000 species are known worldwide. They live in all kind of marine habitats, from the intertidal to the deep sea, from the polar regions to the tropical reefs.

Some species do not exceed a length of 5 mm, the largest can grow up to one meter. Many of them are specialists on certain food species. Some groups have specialized on algae, others on poriferans or corals. Some taxa are rather rapacious and a few even prefer to prey on congeners.

The Opisthobranchia are quite famous for many unique biological phenomena, such as the defensive strategies of using highly toxic chemicals from their food or incorporating the stinging cells of cnidarian prey and using them against possible predators. Some of the opisthobranchs are so toxic, that they are mimicked by other invertebrates.

Another unique character for a certain group is the possibility to incorporate chloroplasts from their algal food and to use these as metabolite suppliers. Less spectacular, but nevertheless very interesting is the symbiotic relationship of certain groups with unicellular algae from corals.

Staff

Scientist, permanent position

Prof. Dr. Heike Wägele

Head of Section

Tel: +49 228 9122-241

Fax: +49 228 9122-295

E-Mail: h.waegele [at] leibniz-zfmk.de

Postdoc

Dr. Nani Undap

former PhD Student

Fax: +49 228 9122-212

E-Mail: n.undap [at] leibniz-zfmk.de

Ph.D. student

Dario Karmeinski

Tel: +49 228 9122-243

Fax: +49 228 9122-212

E-Mail: daka [at] uni-bonn.de

Fatemeh Maniei

PhD Student

Tel: +49 228 9122-243

Fax: +49 228 9122-212

E-Mail: fatemehmanieif [at] gmail.com

Adelfia Papu

PhD Student

Tel: +49 228 9122-242

Fax: +49 228 9122-212

E-Mail: a.papu [at] leibniz-zfmk.de

Dorothee Schillo

PhD Student

Tel: +49 228 9122-242

Fax: +49 228 9122-212

E-Mail: Doro.schillo [at] googlemail.com

MSc or Diploma Candidate

Nils Arenz

Tel: +49 228 9122-242

Fax: +49 228 9122-212

E-Mail: n.arenz [at] leibniz-zfmk.de

Corinna Sickinger

E-Mail: corinna.sickinger [at] web.de

Honorary capacity

Hanna Kocanis

Tel: +49 228 9122-241

Fax: +49 228 9122-212

E-Mail: info [at] hanna-kocanis.de

Alumni

Former staff members

Dr. Alexander Bogdanov

former PhD Student

Fax: +49 228 9122-212

E-Mail: bogdanov [at] uni-bonn.de

Dr. Gregor Christa

former PhD Student

E-Mail: christa [at] uni-wuppertal.de

Dr. Carola Greve

former Postdoc , Laureate "Margarethe-Koenig-Preis" 2014

Fax: +49 228 9122-212

E-Mail: c.greve [at] leibniz-zfmk.de

Dr. Elise M. J. Laetz

former PhD Student

Fax: +49 228 9122-212

E-Mail: melaetz [at] gmail.com

Dr. Juan Moles

former PostDoc

Fax: +49 228 9122-212

E-Mail: info [at] zfmk.de

Dr. Valerie Schmitt

former PhD Student

Fax: +49 228 9122-212

E-Mail: valerieschmitt [at] gmx.de

Former students

Patrick Bialke

former Master candidate

Tel: +49 228 9122-243

Fax: +49 228 9122-212

E-Mail: patrick_bialke [at] uni-bonn.de

Jan-Hendrik Eisenbarth

former student

Tel: +49 228 9122-242

Fax: +49 228 9122-212

E-Mail: s7jaeise [at] uni-bonn.de

Projects

Our Projects

The major aim of our projects is to understand the evolution of the relevant taxa within the Opisthobranchia – the latter not being considered monophyletic anymore according to latest studies.

The methods we use are morphological and histological investigations, supported by ultrastructural analyses as well as molecular systematics.

Preliminary results on phylogeny allowed the specification of certain key characters which probably enhanced higher speciation rates in a few taxa. Therefore we are investigating now in more detail the evolution of a high efficient mutualistic relationships between certain nudibranch taxa and zooxanthellae (cooperation with Prof. Dr. G. Preisfeld and Dr. S. Bleidissel, University of Wuppertal) and the relationship of some sacoglossan members with algal chloroplasts (the latter together with the AG of Prof. Dr. W. Martin, University of Düsseldorf).

Also, the uptake of secondary metabolites from food might have enhanced radiation. Therefore, together with Prof. Dr. G. König (Pharmaceutical Biology, University of Bonn), we investigate secondary metabolites from the slugs and their prey.

In addition, the incorporation of cnidocysts from cnidarian prey is assumed to be a key character for the evolution of the nudibranch group Aeolidoidea. We investigate this hypothesis by using histology of the sea slugs as well as of prey organisms and analyse maturation processes of cnidocysts within the slug (cooperation with Dr. Ulf Bickmeyer, Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Bremerhaven).

2022

Radula properties in marine Heterobranchia

Marine Heterobranchia are known for their trophic specialisation, which has an impact on the radular morphology and their properities.

Project lead:

Prof. Dr. Heike Wägele

2021

Provenance research at the Museum Koenig

The animals exhibited in the Museum Koenig are mostly representative of their respective species. However, some exhibits have an exciting story to tell, for example because they come from a famous collector or only came to the Museum Koenig in Bonn via detours. The aim of the project is to find out the special stories of individual specimens in the museum's exhibitions and to write them down in order to make them accessible to a broader public, for example in the form of popular science publications or as part of museum educational programs.

Project lead:

Dr. André Koch

Funding:

Alexander-Koenig-Society e.V.

2019

Defense systems of Chromodorididae

Chromodorididae is a sea slug group known for the most colorful members. The aposematic coloration is usually discussed in the light of their toxicity. While feeding on sponges, they take up the toxic compounds and store them in special structures along the notum margin. They are used as defense against predators, like fish or crabs. We investigate the evolution and efficiency of these so-called mantle dermal formations within Chromodorididae

Project lead:

Prof. Dr. Heike Wägele

Funding:

Federal Ministry of Education and Research, German Academic Exchange Service

2018

Biodiversity of Phyllidiidae in Indonesia

Phyllidiidae is one of the most common sea slug groups in tropical marine habitats. Because of their colors and wide distribution, they are well known to divers. They are also of interest for pharmaceutical research because of their toxic compounds, which they extract from their sponge food. However, little is known about their relationships and especially cryptic speciation within the genera and species. We investigate the biodiversity of these sea slugs in North Sulawesi (Indonesia) and try to clarify the pyhlogenetic relationships within some genera.

Project lead:

Prof. Dr. Heike Wägele

Biodiversityof marine Heterobranchia in North Sulawesi, Indonesia

Together with Indonesian colleagues from Sam Ratulangi University, Manado, we are investigating the species composition of marine Heterobranchia in North Sulawesi and jointly publishing the results.

Project lead:

Prof. Dr. Heike Wägele

Funding:

German Academic Exchange Service, German Federal Environmental Foundation, Alexander-Koenig-Society e.V.

2017

Evolution of Dexiarchia

The sea slugs of the subgroup Dexiarchia comprise at least 2,000 different species and many more undescribed members. Until today there exists no phylogenetic analysis of Dexiarchia that comprises all major families and corroborates the relationships within this group, which is the aim of our project.

Project lead:

Dr. Alexander Donath

Funding:

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

Subject-related University Partnership

Upgrade of an International subprogram (Indopacific Coral Reef Biodiversity and Conservation, IPCRBC) within the local Master program Aquatic Science at Sam Ratulangi University, Manado in order to prepare it for a Double Degree Master program with University of Bonn and Bremen and thus strengthening existing cooperation between teaching partners UNSRAT, ZFMK and ZMT with regard to future collaborations

Project lead:

Prof. Dr. Heike Wägele

Funding:

German Academic Exchange Service

2016

3D AMP

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Project lead:

Jörg Adrian

Biodiversity of Heterobranc...

Biodiversity of marine heterobranchs of South Iranian shore lines and the Persian Gulf

Project lead:

Prof. Dr. Heike Wägele

Funding:

Alexander-Koenig-Society e.V.

2015

Opisthobranch Biodiversity in Indonesia

The Indonesian coastline is characterized by an extremely high biodiversity. This project focusses on a specific bio-system, i.e. Opisthobranchia, their prey organisms, and the associated microorganisms. Based on our knowledge on systematics and ecology of these organisms, the final goal is to identify new drug leads for antibiotics development in a cooperation with colleagues from the Pharmaceutical Biology of the university of Bonn. Sea slugs, forced by the absence of a protective shell, developed highly specialized defense strategies to protect their sensitive epidermis against micro and small organisms, as well as larger predators like fish and crabs. Especially chemical substances fulfill this protective role.

Project lead:

Prof. Dr. Heike Wägele

Funding:

Federal Ministry of Education and Research

2014

Evolution of defense strategies in sea slugs

Sea slugs have lost their protective shell and evolved alternative defense strategies against predators (toxins, acids, needles, etc). We investigate these strategies

Project lead:

Prof. Dr. Heike Wägele

Funding:

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

Evolution of Photosynthesis in Sacoglossa

The loss of the shell in sea slugs enabled the evolution of photosynthetic capability within some groups, but also enforced the evolution of alternative defense strategies. We investigate the origin and efficiency of these various strategies.

Project lead:

Prof. Dr. Heike Wägele

Funding:

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, Alexander-Koenig-Society e.V.

Incorporation of chloroplasts in Sacoglossa

Some sea slugs incorporate chloroplasts from their algal food in their own body and perform photosynthesis with these „cleptoplastids“. They survive weeks to months without any further food uptake.

Project lead:

Prof. Dr. Heike Wägele

Funding:

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

2011

Sacoglossa-Evolution of their…

Project lead:

Prof. Dr. Heike Wägele

Funding:

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

Fluoreszenzmicroscopical and…

Project lead:

Prof. Dr. Heike Wägele

Funding:

Alexander Koenig Stiftung, Alexander-Koenig-Society e.V.

Automated masking of AFLP markers

AMARE is designed to optimize the signal-to-noise ratio in AFLP data sets (single or multiple primer combinations). It identifies potentially erroneous AFLP genotyping errors as the number of non-reproducible scored markers between replicated AFLP profiles of single individuals. As a measure of overall data quality, it simultaneously estimates general replicate error rates.

Project lead:

Dr. Patrick Kück

Funding:

Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig

2008

Sacoglossa

Project lead:

Prof. Dr. Heike Wägele

Funding:

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

2007

Secondary Metabolites of…

Project lead:

Prof. Dr. Heike Wägele

Funding:

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

Publications

Published in

2013

Christa, G., Zimorski, V., Woehle, C., Tielens, A.G.M., Wägele, H., Martin, W.F., Gould, S.B. (2014). Plastid-bearing sea slugs fix CO2 in the light but do not require photosynthesis to survive. Proc Roy Soc B online first (Nov. 2013)

[read more]

Documents:

christa_et_al_proc_roy_soc_2013_c14_fixation.pdf

Lätz, E., Coleman, C.O., Christa, G., Wägele, H. (2013) Behavioral interactions between Tritaeta gibbosa (Crustacea, Amphipoda) and Ocnus planci (Echinodermata, Holothuroidea). Vie et Milieu, 63: 105-117

[read more]

Documents:

laetz_et_al_2014tritaeta_ocnus.pdf

Letsch HO, Meusemann K, Wipfler B, Schütte K, Beutel R, Misof B (2013). Insect phylogenomics: results, problems and the impact of data matrix composition. Proc. Royal Soc. B

[read more]

Stemmer, K., Burghardt, I., Mayer, C., Reinicke, G., Wägele, H., Tollrian, R., Leese, F. (2013) Morphological and genetic analyses of xeniid soft coral diversity (Octocorallia; Alcyonacea), Organisms Diversity & Evolution 13(2): 135-150.

[read more]

Documents:

stemmer_et_al_2013_ode_xeniidae.pdf

Wägele, H. and Martin, W.F. (2013): Endosymbiosis in sacoglossan seaslugs: Plastid-bearing animals that keep photoesynthetic organelles without borrowing genes. In: Löffelhardt, W. (ed.): Endosymbiosis. Springer Verlag.

[read more]

Documents:

waegele_martin_2013_endosymbiosis_chapter_14.pdf

Wägele, H., Hutterer, R., Peters, R. (2013): Zur Tierwelt im Garten und Park des Museums Alexander Koenig. Koenigiana 7(2): 67-75.

[read more]

Wägele, H., Klussmann-Kolb, A., Verbeek, E., Schrödl, M. (2013) Flashback and foreshadowing – a review of the taxon Opisthobranchia. Organisms, Diversity and Evolution. 2013 (DOI) 10.1007/s13127-013-0151-5

[read more]

Documents:

waegele_et_al._2013_flashback_opisthobranchia.pdf

2012

Kück P, Greve, C, Misof B, Gimnich F (2012): Automated masking of AFLP markers improves reliability of phylogenetic analyses. PLoS ONE, 7(11):e49119. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0049119

[read more]

Links:

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0049119

GREVE, C., GIMNICH, F., HUTTERER, R., MISOF, B., HAASE, M. (2012) Radiating on oceanic islands: Patterns and processes of speciation in the land snail genus Theba. PLoS ONE 7 (4): e34339.

[read more]

Hülsken, T., Tapken, D., Dahlmann, T., Wägele, H., Riginos, C., Hollmann, M. (2012) Systematics and phylogenetic species delimitation within Polinices s.l. (Caenogastropoda: Naticidae) based on molecular data and shell morphology. Organisms, Diversity, Evolution, 12: 349-375.

[read more]

Hutterer, R., Grundtner, T., Melenk, W., Wägele, H. (2012) Park und Garten des Museum Alexander Koenig im Wandel der Zeit. Koenigiana 6: 81-89

[read more]

Obermann, D., Bickmeyer, U., Wägele, H. (2012) Incorporated nematocysts in Aeolidiella stephanieae (Gastropoda, Opisthobranchia, Aeolidoidea) mature by acidification shown by the pH sensitive fluorescing alkaloid Ageladine A. Toxicon 60: 1108-1116.

[read more]

Documents:

obermann_bickmeyer_waegele_2012_cnidocyst_maturation.pdf

2011

Hülsken, T., Wägele, H., Peters, B., Mather, A., Hollmann, M. (2011) Molecular analysis of adults and egg masses reveals two independent lineages within the infaunal gastropod Naticarius onca (Röding, 1798) (Caenogastropoda: Naticidae). Molluscan Research 0,906 31: 141-151.

[read more]

Documents:

huelsken_et_al_2011_naticarius.pdf

Putz, A., Kehraus, S., Dias-Agras, G., Wägele, H., König, G.M. (2011) Dotofide, a guanidine-interrupted terpenoid from the marine slug Doto pinnatifida (Gastropoda, Nudibranchia). European Journal of Organic Chemistry 3,329, 2011: 3733-3737.

[read more]

Documents:

putz_dotofide.pdf

Schmitt, V., Wägele, H. (2011) Behavioral adaptations in relation to long-term retention of endosymbiotic chloroplasts in the sea slug Elysia timida (Opisthobranchia, Sacoglossa). Thalassas 27: 225-238.

[read more]

Documents:

schmitt_et_al_2014_elysia_timida_front_zool.pdf

Wägele, H., Klussmann-Kolb, A., Kuhlmann, M., Haszprunar, G., Lindberg, D., Koch, A., Wägele, J.W. (2011) The taxonomist – an endangered race. A practical proposal for its survival. Frontiers in Zoology 4,460 8: 25.

[read more]

Documents:

waegele_et_al-the_taxonomist-2011.pdf

2010

HÄNDELER, K., WÄGELE, H., WAHRMUND, U., RÜDINGER, M., KNOOP, V. (2010) Slugs’ last meals: Molecular identification of sequestered chloroplasts from different algal origins in Sacoglossa (Opisthobranchia, Gastropoda). Molecular Ecology Resources 10: 968-978.

[read more]

Letsch HO, Kück P, Stocsits RR, Misof B: The impact of rRNA secondary structure consideration in alignment and tree reconstruction: simulated data and a case study on the phylogeny of hexapods. Mol. Biol. Evol. 27(11):2507-2521

[read more]

Links:

https://academic.oup.com/mbe/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/molbev/msq140

Putz, A., König, G., Wägele, H. (2010) Defensive strategies of Cladobranchia (Gastropoda, Opisthobranchia) Natural Product Reports 27(10): 1386-1402.

[read more]

Documents:

putz_et_al_cladobranchianpr2010online.pdf

Wägele, H. (2010) Hinterkiemerschnecken (Opisthobranchia) – Schokoladenseiten einer als schleimig verrufenen Tiergruppe. Koenigiana 4(2): 61-71.

[read more]

Contact person

Prof. Dr. Heike Wägele

Head of Section

Phylogenetics and Evolutionary Biology

+49 228 9122-241

+49 228 9122-295

h.waegele [at] leibniz-zfmk.de

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Phylogenetics & Evolutionary Biology

Reiter

The Opisthobranchia

Scientist, permanent position

Postdoc

Ph.D. student

MSc or Diploma Candidate

Honorary capacity

Former staff members

Former students

Our Projects

2022

2021

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2011

2008

2007

Pages

2013

2012

2011

2010

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Contact person